Mumbai: When the Chennai Super Kings team bus arrived at the Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday, 75 minutes before the match, Mahendra Singh Dhoni – seated last on the left side – did not even look outside the window for once to his fans.
He looked tired and under pressure, very unlikely of the ‘Captain Cool’ epithet. It reflected on the pitch too. He scored a first-ball duck (in five years) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Chennai lost to Mumbai Indians by 25 runs.
Chasing 188 for victory, Dhoni’s boys were wrapped up within 19 overs for 162.The visitors lost opener Dwayne Smith (0) upfront (in the first over) in what could be termed as an atrocious decision by umpire RK Illingworth. Lasith Malinga’s full toss was going down the leg side.
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(Photo: BCCI)
The wrong leg-before decision broke Chennai’s fighting spirit as they lost veteran Michael Hussey (16, 1X4, 1X6) in the sixth over. The Australian got an upper edge off an R Vinay Kumar delivery, caught comfortably by Parthiv Patel behind the stumps.
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Check out: 5 reasons why Mumbai Indians will beat Chennai Super Kings
Though wickets kept tumbling, Faf du Plessis (45, 5X4, 1X6) – who walked in at number three – accelerated from the onset. The South African took on Mitchell McClenaghan and slashed him for three fours in a row. But the tension started mounting on Faf after Harbhajan caught and bowled Suresh Raina (25, 2X6), trapped Dhoni leg-before in two consecutive deliveries.
The off-spinner missed out on a hat-trick but managed to crack Chennai’s psychological edge in crunch situations. He stepped out to Jagadeesha Suchith and failed to middle the ball, giving away an easy catch to Kumar at long on.
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(Photo: BCCI)
The dangerous Dwayne Bravo (20, 2X4, 1X6) was sent back by Parthiv who pulled off a direct hit at the non-striker’s end.At the end of 16 overs, Chennai were 129 for the loss of seven wickets.
There were no batsmen left to help the chase down 58 in the remaining four overs. Ravindra Jadeja (1X4, 1X6) was the only hope who – in order to clear the rope – was caught brilliantly by Suchith at deep point.
(Photo: BCCI)
Malinga took three wickets while Kumar and Harbhajan settled for two each. Suchith and McClenaghan claimed one each.
(Photo: BCCI)
Earlier, Mumbai won the toss and chose to bat. Lendl Simmons (64, 3X4, 5X6) and Parthiv (35, 4X4, 1X6) continued from where they left against Sunrisers Hyderabad, stitching a 90-run partnership for the first wicket.
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Dhoni’s ploy of opening the proceedings with Ravichandran Ashwin did not work though the tweaker kept things tight for the first four overs. In the fifth over, Simmons slammed Ashwin for two sixes – one straight down the ground which kissed the sight screen and the other, on the leg side.
(Photo: BCCI)
Mumbai scored 64 runs from the fifth over to the tenth. Even Parthiv, not known to play big shots, threw his bat at Pawan Negi to clear the fence.
(Photo: BCCI)
Dwayne Bravo provided the first breakthough for Chennai when Parthiv failed to clear the ground and found Ravindra Jadeja at long on. Simmons looked steady for a hundred before Negi plucked a low offering off Jadeja in the deep cover area. The Caribbean got enough room to swing his willow outside off but credit goes to Negi for sprinting down and holding on to the ball.
(Photo: BCCI)
Rohit Sharma (19, 1X4, 1X6), like his other days, played another cameo. After snatching a six and a four off the Chennai spinners in the 14-ball innings, his patience ran out. Rohit stepped out to a slower Bravo delivery only to find Jadeja at deep midwicket. Hardik Pandya – the hero against Kolkata Knight Riders – could only last two balls scoring one run.
(Photo: BCCI)
Once again, it was Kieron Pollard, who upped the ante in the death overs clearing the park five times. He scored 41 off 17, that also included a four.
(Photo: BCCI)
The Chennai bowlers had a sloppy day at work. They conceded eight wide balls and a no-ball. Mohit Sharma bowled three wide balls in the same over conceding 33 runs off three overs with one wicket.
Bravo, who was the pick of the bowlers, picked up three wickets (completing 100 wickets in IPL) but passed 40 runs in his four overs. Both him and Ashish Nehra bowled two wide balls.
Scorecard:
Mumbai Indians: L. Simmons c Negi b Jadeja 65, P. Patel c Jadeja b Bravo 35, Rohit Sharma c Jadeja b Bravo 19, K. Pollard c Raina b Bravo 41, H. Pandya c Jadeja b Nehra 1, A. Rayudu c Raina b Mohit 10, Harbhajan Singh (not out) 6, J. Suchith (not out) 1. Extras (w-8, nb-1) 9. Total (for six wickets in 20 overs) 187.
FoW: 1-90, 2-113, 3-137, 4-139, 5-164, 6-185.
Bowling: Ashwin 3-0-22-0, Nehra 4-0-28-1, Negi 4-0-46-0, Jadeja 2-0-18-1, Mohit 3-0-33-1, Bravo 4-0-40-3.
Chennai Super Kings: D. Smith lbw b Malinga 0, M. Hussey c Patel b Vinay Kumar 16, F du Plessis c Vinay Kumar b Suchith 45, S. Raina c & b Harbhajan Singh 25, M.S. Dhoni lbw b Harbhajan Singh 0, D. Bravo (not out) 19, R. Jadeja c Suchith b McClenaghan 19, P. Negi c sub (UBT Chand) b Vinay Kumar 3, R. Ashwin c Rayudu b Malinga 23, Mohit Sharma (not out) 3, A. Nehra c Simmons b Malinga 0 . Extras (lb-1, w-7) 8. Total (all out in 19 overs) 162.
Fow: 1-0, 2-46, 3-86, 4-86, 5-110, 6-119, 7-126, 8-147, 9-161.
Bowling: L. Malinga 4-0-23-3, M. McClenaghan 3-0-46-1, R. Vinay Kumar 3-0-26-2, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-26-2, K. Pollard 3-0-22-0, J Suchith 2-0-18-1.
